terrorists. Every TV channel in the world, every newspaper is filled with the
heart-breaking stories and pictures of the tragedy that began on the night of
26th November 2008. The government of India has very generously granted lakhs
of rupees to the families of the deceased. US has sent their representatives to
promote peace talks between India & Pakistan . Every person in the world has
condemned the terrorists and their disgustful acts. Signature campaigns and
public demands have caused top government officials to resign.
Today, the police are claiming that all terrorists are either dead or arrested.
There is no need to fear, none of them are on the loose.
But, is that really true?
Allow me to take you back to a few incidents (I call them 'terror-attacks')
that happened right here in India , just a few months ago. Only it wasn't in
Mumbai, but another lesser known state Orissa.
Priests were killed. Beaten up. Hammered and left bleeding naked on
the streets to die.
- Nuns were raped.
- Children were burnt alive.
- Christians killed and cut to pieces.
- Rajni Machi, a 20-year-old HINDU girl, who was rejected by her
parents because she was the eldest of 7 girls (the parents wanted a son),
adopted by Fr. Edward Sequeira, was gang-raped by HINDU fundamentalists, and
burnt alive.
- Hundreds of Churches & villages burnt and destroyed
- 60,000 plus Christians fled to the forests, with no food, no shelter,
no sufficient clothing to keep them warm in the bitter cold.
- Volunteers from Mumbai and other parts of the country not allowed to
go and help the victims.
- No provisions were allowed to be sent to them.
- Even today, 1000s of these poor, helpless Christians are hiding in
the cold, dangerous forests, with no one to help them.
Now tell me are these fundamentalists any better that the terrorists? I say no,
they are as much a terrorists as the ones who came from Pakistan . In fact,
even worse. The terrorists who attacked Mumbai, attacked their enemies. The
Indian fundamentalists, attacked their own brothers - fellow Indians.
And these terrorists in Orissa are still roaming around boasting about their
great deeds. The Chief Minister of Orissa, Naveen Patnaik still sits on his
throne. The attacks in Mumbai have ceased after 3 days. The attacks in Orissa
still continue.
Will someone do something? Can we demand justice for the suffering? Or is that
reserved only for the elite class of Taj & Oberoi in Mumbai. Some of those who
were caught in the Taj and Oberoi have been saved and given a second chance in
life. Can the people of Orissa expect the same?
Many of you reading this are in different parts of the world. Some of you are
in the US . Can someone take this message to the US President? Will they force
the government of India to send the army to Orissa and other parts of India
that are under attack?
What will you do? Will you just forward it to a few 'safe' friends and forget
about it? Will you take a stand to talk to every person you can about this
injustice? Will you promise not to stop spreading this message till Orissa is
freed of terrorists? We need a country that is free. Will you join this freedom
struggle like Gandhiji once did?
